TOP STORY: United seek Ronaldo return

We've all heard it before: Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Manchester United. However, the rumours may well be more reliable this time.

The Portugal talisman enjoyed prolific spells at Old Trafford before his rightful ascension to the Bernabeu throne, but it seems that United are intent on taking the Real Madrid star back to Manchester.

The Manchester Evening News reports that United are favourites to sign the forward, who has broken numerous personal records at the Bernabeu despite failing to collect the silverware that his talent has deserved.

The Daily Star reports that Ronaldo is wanted as Angel Di Maria's replacement, and will be tasked with taking the club forward after a muddled 2014-15 campaign.

TRANSFERS BY LEAGUE

LIVE BLOG

That will do it for Friday July 24. We'll be back shortly with the latest from tomorrow's paper round and get the live experience started again first thing Saturday!

23.14 BST: DONE DEAL Mario Suarez's move to Fiorentina is now official. The 28-year-old midfielder had been with Atletico Madrid since 2010. The Spanish club announced the move on Tuesday and details were finalised on Friday. Suarez made just 11 league starts last season for Atletico.

22.21 BST: DONE DEAL After five seasons in Russia, Kevin Kuranyi is returning to the Bundesliga after inking a one-year deal with Hoffenheim. The 33-year-old German striker had been at Dynamo Moscow since 2010.

21.52 BST:According to Spanish daily Marca, Real Sociedad striker Alfred Finnbogason is off to Greece to play the 2015-16 season on loan at Olympiakos. The Iceland international arrived to the Spanish club last summer, but scored just three goals in all competitions.

20.08 BST: DONE DEAL Bundesliga club Hamburg have added the services of Sven Schipplock from Hoffenhiem. The 26-year-old striker, who scored 16 goals in 84 matches for Hoffenheim, has signed a three-year contract.

20.02 BST: Di Maria deal or no deal? While speculation runs rampant that Manchester United winger Angel di Maria is on his way to Paris-Saint Germain, United manager Louis van Gaal stated that Di Maria will join up with his side's preseason tour of the United States.

The former Real Madrid winger, who cost United a record £59.7 million last year, is a target of the French champions, but Van Gaal's comments appear to contradict rumours that the two clubs are set to announce a deal. "I expect him tomorrow [Saturday] because we have communicated that and they have responded on that," Van Gaal said in a news conference in San Jose.

18.50 BST: Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez does not believe that Sergio Ramos will be leaving the Spanish capital... Speaking after his club's 4-1 International Champions Cup win over Manchester City in Melbourne, Benitez reiterated his feeling that the veteran centre-back will not be departing the club this summer. "Sergio has known from day one that I want him to stay and I'm sure that he'll stay with us."

Ramos has reportedly been at the centre of a tug of war between the Spanish giants and Manchester United, with rumours suggesting the defender wants a switch to the Premier League.

18.37 BST: DONE DEAL Newly-promoted Bologna have added veteran striker Franco Brienza from Palermo. The 36-year-old was with relegated Cesena in Serie A last season and will try to avoid a similar fate with the Rossoblu.

18.19 BST: Hands off Lacazette... especially you, Arsenal! Lyon coach Hubert Fournier has warned suitors that he wants sought-after forward Alexandre Lacazette to remain at the club. The 24-year-old France international has been attracting attention from across Europe and has been linked with a move to the Premier League.

One club reportedly showing an interest is Arsenal, with the Gunners taking on Lyon in the Emirates Cup on Saturday. But speaking ahead of the match, Fournier insisted Lacazette is happy at the Stade de Gerland.

17.39 BST: More on a possible Pedro move to Manchester United... United will meet with representatives of Barcelona winger Pedro in the United States over the weekend, as they hope to complete a deal for the 27-year-old by the middle of next week, club sources have told ESPN FC.

17.15 BST: Arsenal fans feeling giddy about reports of £200 million in the Gunners' bank... hold your horses a little.

Arsene Wenger has played down comments by Lord Harris after the club director said huge cash reserves that the manager could use to sign almost any player in the world.

"He has gone a bit overboard because that is not true," he told a news conference. "We are in a situation where we are working hard, where if an opportunity comes up we can do something, but we are not in need. We are in a strong position with a strong squad I am happy with.

16.56 BST: Chelsea expect to complete the signing of Augsburg left-back Abdul Baba Rahman before the Community Shield against Arsenal next month, club sources have told ESPN FC.

16.14 BST DONE DEAL Let's pop down to Kent and to Gillingham, to be exact, where Cardiff defender Adeji Oshilada will be playing on loan until January 3. Gills boss Justin Edinburgh told the club's official website: "Having worked with Adedeji at Newport County I know what he is capable of. We thank Cardiff for allowing him to join us, and we look forward to working with him."

16.00 BST: Chelsea expect to complete the signing of left-back Abdul Baba Rahman from Augsburg before the Community Shield against Arsenal next month, club sources have told ESPN FC, with only the fee to be agreed.

15.28 BST: Here's Zlatan Ibrahimovic again -- he says he would like a move to Major League Soccer before he ends his career.

The Paris St Germain star, 33, is currently in the U.S. with his club on a preseason tour and was quoted as saying by Yahoo Sports: "I would like to play in the U.S. -- absolutely.''

15.12 BST: Rafa Benitez, speaking to reporters after his team's 4-1 friendly win over Manchester City in Australia, has played down speculation linking Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema with a big-money move to Arsenal.

Benitez said: "People are asking me about different players that maybe we will buy and I always say the same thing -- he's not our player, I will not talk about that. "In this, case Karim is our player -- so I will not talk about that. I hope, I'm sure, that he will stay with us."

14.59 BST DONE DEAL The medical's gone well, and Chris Maguire is now officially part of Rotherham's ranks.

SE: "It is fantastic news that has reached me in Scotland this morning that Chris Maguire has become a Miller." http://t.co/4Ok09VNLUC

14.51 BST: Abou Diaby's prospective move to West Brom is getting closer -- the ex-Arsenal man, released by the Gunners at the end of last season after a succession of injury problems, is having a medical.

14.34 BST DONE DEAL Al-Jazira have announced the signing of Jefferson Farfan from Schalke.

Ibrahimovic, 33, has been linked with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain this summer and said this week that his future is in the hands of his agent.

14.00 BST:TalkSPORT reports that Burnley have agreed a £2.5 million deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Henri Lansbury. The 24-year-old had been a target for them last summer as they prepared for life in the Premier League.

13.32 BST: BBC Radio Manchester's United reporter says things are beginning to happen as far as a move for Barcelona's Pedro is concerned:

Marca reporting #mufc and Barca have opened talks over transfer of Pedro - would probably cost €30m

13.15 BST: Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has said he has no intention of leaving Stamford Bridge.

Mikel, 28 -- the Blues' second-longest serving player behind captain John Terry -- is preparing for his 10th season with the London club.

He has been linked with moves to United Arab Emirates side Al Ain and Turkish outfit Fenerbahce but said he wanted to see out the remaining two years of his contract.

12.59 BST: Manchester United are set to complete the signing of Argentina international goalkeeper Sergio Romero, sources have told ESPN FC.

United have targeted Romero, a free agent, as they are ready to sell Victor Valdes after the Spaniard had a falling out with boss Louis van Gaal.

Van Gaal revealed earlier this month Valdes was up for sale after he refused to play in an under-21s game last season to work on his fitness, and United have moved quickly to fill the void to be left by Valdes' expected departure by lining up Romero.

12.37 BST: Few clubs have been busier in the transfer market than Watford as they prepare for life back in the top flight. The Hornets could be about to make it ten new arrivals so far, with PA Sport reporting that they are poised to bring in forward Steven Berghuis from AZ Alkmaar.

11.50 BST: Atletico Madrid expect to confirm the return of Brazil international Filipe Luis from Chelsea on Friday.

Luis left Atletico last summer, but Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho confirmed earlier this week that the left-back was on the verge of a return to Vicente Calderon.

Atletico are reported to have agreed to pay €16 million for the 29-year-old -- €4m less than they received for him last summer -- and the deal is set to be finalised once the Spanish club receive the necessary documentation.

Saints boss Ronald Koeman is keen to add a central defender to his squad after he missed out on the permanent signing of Toby Alderweireld, who opted to join Tottenham earlier this month.

11.20 BST: Jordan Rhodes has revealed his disappointment after Blackburn rejected a big-money offer from Middlesbrough for his services.

Blackburn rejected an offer in excess of £10 million for Scotland international Rhodes, who moved to Ewood Park from Huddersfield in 2012.

Middlesbrough, who had Patrick Bamford and Jelle Vossen on loan last season, will have a new-look attack in the coming campaign and have already brought in Uruguay international Christian Stuani from Espanyol.

10.50 BST -- ALMOST DONE DEAL: A new signing for Rotherham United, who have brought in forward Chris Maguire. Maguire scored eight goals for their fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday last season.

10.00 BST: Orlando City have broken off negotiations with Sao Paulo for midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso, and have announced they are suing the Brazilian outfit for non-payment of money owed in the loan deal that sent Kaka to Brazil last year.

The MLS franchise confirmed the end of negotiations, and subsequent lawsuit, in a statement.

09.50 BST: Aston Villa have made an offer for Lorient and Ghana star Jordan Ayew, sources have told ESPN FC.

Villa boss Tim Sherwood is keen to add to his attacking options after selling Christian Benteke to Liverpool earlier this week, and has lined up a deal for a player who hit 12 Ligue 1 goals last season.

Ayew's agent, Mark McKay, confirmed Villa had made an offer for Ayew and said the player hopes to travel to England for talks and a medical later on Friday. "Villa have made an offer for Jordan Ayew to Alex Hayes, vice-president of Lorient," Ayew's agent, Mark McKay, told ESPN FC.

"We are hoping Jordan will be allowed to travel from Lorient to Birmingham tonight to discuss personal terms. Tim Sherwood is an admirer of Jordan and feels he could be a big success in the Premier League."

09.28 BST: Benfica's Filip Djuricic could be at the centre of a battle between two of this season's three Premier league newcomers, according to the Daily Mirror, which reports that Norwich City and Bournemouth are interested in signing him. Djurcic had a loan spell with Southampton last season.

09.22 BST: Arturo Vidal starred at Bayer Leverkusen before moving to Juventus -- and now Roger Schmidt's side want to bring another Chile international to Europe.

Midfielder Charles Aranguiz is currently with Brazilian club Internacional -- and the 26-year-old is a top priority for Leverkusen, whose CEO Michael Schade told Bild: "We absolutely want to sign the player, and we'll continue to fight for him," Leverkusen CEO Michael Schade told Bild.

Bild also follows up a story in Gazzetta dello Sport which suggest Roma striker Mattia Destro is another Leverkusen target, initially on loan.

09.16 BST:Mercato365.com claims Juventus could make an offer of between €15 million and €25 million for Monaco left-back Layvin Kurzawa. The 22-year-old is under contract in the principality until 2018.

09.12 BST: Reports in Italy suggest that Roma set to announce the signing of Mohamed Salah from Chelsea -- the player wrote on Twitter yesterday that the time had come for him to change his profile picture (which shows him in a Fiorentina shirt, the club at which he is on loan), hinting that he is about to move to pastures new.

08.21 BST: A big claim in France Football: Paris Saint-Germain have agreed to pay Manchester United €65 million for Angel Di Maria. That would see United make a €10m loss after paying Real Madrid £59.7m last summer.

PAPER ROUND

Chelsea coy on De Bruyne

While Manchester City have been linked with a big-money move for Kevin De Bruyne in recent weeks, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho appears to be less concerned with bringing the 24-year-old back to West London.

The Portuguese coach doesn't seem to be wooing the £60m target toward Stamford Bridge, telling reporters: "He needed a team where he knows he can play every game. He needs to know that he is important."

Whether Chelsea can offer him that is another matter, but Wolfsburg seem keen to cash in on the 24-year-old playmaker if the price is right.

Mourinho said of De Bruyne: "We sold him, made our money and it was fantastic because we bought him cheap and sold him for a fantastic price. And now Wolfsburg, if they make a fantastic deal, that is good for them." Not exactly a ringing endorsement of splurging £60m on the same player now...

Saido Berahino could be heading from West Brom to Tottenham, according to the Mirror.

Berahino eyes Spurs role

Tottenham are understandably keen to keep while adding to their squad, and the Mirror reports that Spurs are targeting a young, English strike partner for their young, English striker partner.

Harry Kane needs support next season, and ESPN FC sources suggest Spurs are keen on adding Saido Berahino to the mix to mount a challenge for a top-four finish.

The West Brom starlet Berahino would make a fine partner for Kane up front, and Spurs are eager to seal a deal with a "firm" bid for the young forward.

The striker is set for "crunch talks" with the Baggies this week, and could yet sign a new Hawthorns deal despite the recent interest.

Ramos saga continues

The Guardian reports that Real Madrid are planning a final plea bargain with Sergio Ramos to keep the defender out of Manchester United's clutches.

The paper reports Ramos will stay only if Real refuse to back down regarding his future, although much could change with Ramos' impeding discussions with Real president Florentino Perez in China.

It's more than likely that Ramos will stay at Real, while David De Gea will wait a season before joining Los Blancos on a free, but don't rule out the Spain defender pushing through a deal after a summer of discontent.

Young eyes former home

Aston Villa have been suitably stung thus summer having lost Fabian Delph and Christian Benteke, but the Daily Mail reports that the Midlands club could be about to push through a deal for Ashley Young.

The 30-year-old winger impressed at Old Trafford last season, but could suffer from a lack of game time this term, and has yet to agree to a new deal with his contract running out next summer.

Villa are reportedly keeping tabs on their former player, and are ready to pounce should United decide to cash in while they can still make some money from Young,

Arsenal can smash rivals in negotiations

And now for the archetypal Arsenal update -- Gunners director Lord Harris has informed fans that the club can compete for any player barring Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Harris said: "At the moment there are no plans to sign anyone, unless [Arsene Wenger] finds a real superstar like Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez. He's looking for one of those but there aren't many available. We would back him to break the club's transfer record."

Not a bad approach, but Arsene Wenger may need some convincing that more "superstars" are the way forward.

Real set on De Gea

David De Gea may dreaming of a move to Real Madrid, but it appears to be put-up or shut-up time for the goalkeeper regarding a transfer back to the Spanish capital.

The Times reports the keeper is "under growing pressure from Louis van Gaal to play for Manchester United against Barcelona on Saturday and to ensure that he is mentally prepared for the start of the season amid the uncertainty over his future."

With De Gea seemingly forced to commit his future to either United or elsewhere, expect plenty of movement on this in the coming days and weeks.

Tap-ins

- Chelsea and Roma are close to agreement on a one-year loan for Mohamed Salah. The Mirror reports that the Egypt international will join Roma for a year, with a £16m deal reportedly available at the end of the season.

- Former Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby is set to undergo a medical with West Brom this weekend, according to Sky Sports. Good luck with the medical, Baggies fans...